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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The animated movie The Nightmare... -- Malachi 3:1-4 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
The animated movie The Nightmare Before Christmas attracted considerable attention when it first app
Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote the... -- 2 Samuel 11:1-15 -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 1994
Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote the book Who Needs God? in which he makes this observation.
What is Sin? According to... -- 2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 1994
What is Sin? According to John Wesley:
Now I will make your... -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1994
"Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth."
The Song of Solomon is... -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13 -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 1994
The Song of Solomon is a love song.
The ark was a treasured... -- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1994
The ark was a treasured symbol in Israel. The Israelites carried it in their wilderness travels.
It was Inauguration Day, 1993... -- 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 1994
It was Inauguration Day, 1993.
To his people's puzzlement, David... -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 1994
To his people's puzzlement, David did not desire vengeance against Absalom.
A philanthropist approached an organization... -- 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 1994
A philanthropist approached an organization which operated a home for a number of disabled persons a
Harriet had been a partner... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Reformation Sunday - B -- 1994
Harriet had been a partner in the Dewey, Cheatham and Howe Law Firm for three years now.
Jeremiah had become aware of... -- Jeremiah 11:18-20 -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 1994
Jeremiah had become aware of a plot against his life.
John Wesley found words about... -- Proverbs 31:10-31 -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 1994
John Wesley found words about his mother Susanna written by his father Samuel.
There is a link between... -- Job 42:1-6, 10-17 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1994
There is a link between Job 42:1-6 and the gospel lesson for today.
One California insurance company is... -- Ruth 1:1-18 -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1994
One California insurance company is now offering policies to cover wedding ceremonies.
Wise Owl ...A wise... -- Proverbs 1:20-33 -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 1994
Wise Owl ...A wise old owl sat in an oak;The more he saw the less he spoke;
Dr. Tom Dooley tells the... -- Isaiah 53:4-12 -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1994
Dr.
Through the centuries traditional commentary... -- Job 1:1; 2:1-10 -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 1994
Through the centuries traditional commentary on verse 9 of chapter 2 has cast Job's wife in the role
There is some wisdom that... -- Wisdom 7:7-11 -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1994
There is some wisdom that can be gained in living and meditation, and some that can be gained from b
These are the last words... -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1994
These are the last words of David.
In January of 1993 the... -- 1 Samuel 1:4-20 -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1994
In January of 1993 the Supreme Court handed down a rather disturbing ruling.
In a popular comic strip... -- Solomon 3:1-9 -- All Saints Day - B -- 1994
In a popular comic strip, "Calvin and Hobbes," the stuffed tiger, Hobbes, points out to his child, C
A young man was having... -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1994
A young man was having a great deal of trouble deciding what his life's calling should be.
Robert Schuller tells the story... -- Ezekiel 37:1-14 -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1994
Robert Schuller tells the story of how the mirrored reception hall in the old Shah's Palace in Tehra
It was in the depression... -- 1 John 5:9-13 -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 1994
It was in the depression years, the mid-30s, and nobody could buy a new chair let alone a new car, e
Milton Jacobi was 10 or... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 1994
Milton Jacobi was 10 or 15 years older than I and he had graduated from a small state college.

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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29 – Worship Resources
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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For June 22, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
David Kalas
We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
Stan Purdum
I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
April Yamasaki
In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

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